Package-tie



G. F. DILLON.

PACKAGE TIE- APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1920.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

GEORGE F. DILLON, 0F McLOUTH, KANSAS.

PACKAGE-TIE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application filed October 25, 1920. Serial No. 419,262.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE F. DILLON, a citizen of the United States,and resident of McLouth, county of Jefferson, and State of Kansas, haveinvented a certain new and useful Improvement in Package-Ties, of whichthe following is a complete specification.

The present invention relates to package tying devices, and aims toprovide a novel and improved form of package tie adapted for quick andconvenient application to packages, such as of letters and the like, ofvarying sizes, and also adapted to be quickly secured to the package aswell as removed therefrom with equal facility.

Accordingly, I have devised an improved tie structure which is comprisedof a pair of frame members pivotally connected and having one of saidmembers so constructed and arranged as to readily adapt itself to one ofthe sides of the package in accordance with the thickness or size of thepackage, the free ends of said frame members being adapted fordetachable connection in securing articles together in package form.

Preferably I construct the device of resilient material, such assuitable wire, so as to make the device as strong and at the same timeas light as possible, this character of material furthermore lending tothe device the necessary yielding and resilient characteristics requiredfor enabling the device to conform itself to packages of differentsizes.

It is also sought to provide a device of the character described. whichwill be of cheap and inexpensive construction while sacrificing none ofthe essential and practical features of the device as an article ofutility. With the foregoing general objects in view, the device will nowbe described by reference to the accompanying drawing illustrating oneform of construction which I have devised for embodying the proposedfeatures of improvement, after which the novel points therein will beparticularly set forth and claimed.

In the drawing- Figure 1 is a perspective view showing a package tieconstructed in accordance with the present invention, and spread out indetached form from the package;

- Fig. 2 is a perspective view of a package with the parts thereofsecured together by means of a package tie embodying the pro posedimprovement;

Fig. 3 is a plan view, on an enlarged scale.

showing one of the frame members of the device, with the other framemember partly broken away.

Referring now to the said drawing in detail, this illustrates theimproved device as comprising a frame member 4, preferably constructedof resilient wire material, in approximately rectangular form, andsuitable for application to one of the sides of a package, such as anumber of letters 5 assembled in package'form, as illustrated in Fig. 2.At one of its ends, the frame member 4 has the end portions of the wireforming said frame coiled or twisted to provide an extension 6terminatingin a pair of opposltely extending hooks 7, for detachableengagement with the free end of the other frame member hereinafterdescribed. At its opposite end the frame member 4 is formed with a shortextension 8, to the opposite sides of which is attached a short lengthof resilient wire, the middle portion 9 of which connects the sides ofthe extension 8, about which sides of said extension the wire is coiledto produce a pair of spring coils 10 terminating in short arms 12, theaction of the spring coils 10 being such as to maintain the arms 12normally in substantially coplanar relation to the frame 4, as isrepresented in Figs. 1 and 3.

Pivotally connected with the arms 12 is a second frame member, alsopreferably of spring wire material, the middle portion of which iscoiled to provide a pair of spring coils 14 wound about theopposite'sides of a loop 15 at the middle of the free end portion ofsaid second frame; the remaining or free end portions of the wirecomposing the second frame are bent to form an approximately rectangularfrazme, the ends of the portions 16 being formed with eyes 17 adaptedfor pivotal and sliding engagement with the arms 12, from which they areprevented from becoming separated by reason of terminal coils 18provided on the ends of said arms 12.

From the foregoing description, With reference particularly to Figs. 1and 2 of the drawing, the mode of use of the device will be readilyunderstood. The frame 4 is of practically fixed form, adapted forapplication to one of the sides of the package, and the action of thespring members 10 as well as of the coils 14 is such as to maintain theparts of the second frame (formed of the wire portions 16 and arms 12)normally in a substantially flat outline; but, this action being of ayielding character, the said second frame may be folded somewhat aboutthe axis of the coil springs 10 and 1 k as well as about its pivotalconnection with the arms 12 for conforming the parts of the second frameto the size and shape of the package comprised of the articles 5. Thusthe device is readily adjusted to accommodate itself to the size andshape of package, to which the parts of the device are secured byengagement of the loop 15 with either of the hook terminals 7 of theframe member 4, it being understood that the second frame may be swungin either direction about its pivotal connection with the arms 12 andthereby engaged with either of said hook terminals 7, according to whichside of the frame 4 is applied against the face of the package. When thedevice is secured to the package as shown in Fig. 2, the'spring orresilient character of the connections between the frame port-ions ofthe device is such as to se curely hold the articles of the packagetogether, while of course permitting one or more of said articles to bewithdrawn from the package, as is customary in certain lines of work,particularly in the Work of mail carriers.

From the foregoing it will be seen that I have devised a simple,practical and efficient, and at the same time inexpensive form of devicefor carrying out the desired objects of the invention, and while I haveshown what is now'thought to be the preferred form of construction Idesire to reserve the right to make such changes as may fairly fallwithin the scope of the following claims.

.What I claim is:

1. A package tie comprising a frame member adapted to be applied to oneside of the package, and a second frame member composed of foldingsections adapted yieldingly to assume a normally substantially fiatoutline with relation to the other side of the package and provided witha flexible connection with one end of said first frame member, the freeend portions of said frame members being adapted for detachableconnection.

2. A package tie comprising a frame member adapted to be applied to oneside of the package, and a second frame member composed of foldingsections adapted yieldingly to assume a normally substantiallyflat'outline with relation to the other side of the package and providedwith a spring hinge connection with one end of'said first frame, thefree end portions of said frame members being adapted for detachableconnection.

3. A package tie comprising a frame member adapted to be applied to oneside of the package, and a second frame member composed of foldingsections provided with a spring-hinge connection with one end of saidfirst frame member, the .free end of said second frame having aspring-hinge structure co't perating with said connection to maintainsaid second frame normally'in a flat outline, the free end portions ofsaid frame members being adapted for detachable connection.

4. A package tie comprising aframe member adapted to be applied to oneside of the package, one end of said frame being composed of foldingsections provided with a pair of spring arms lying normally insubstantially coplanar relation to said frame, a second frame memberpivotally connected at one end to said frame and provided. at itsopposite end with a spring-hinge structure cooperating with said arms tomaintain said second frame normally in a flat outline, the free endportions of said frame members being adapted for detachable connection.

5. A package tie comprisinga frame member adapted to be applied to oneside of the package, one end of said frame being provided with a pair ofspring armslying normally in substantially coplanar relation to saidframe, a second frame member pivotally connected at one end to said armsfor swinging movement in either direction with reference to said arms,said second frame having a spring-hinge structure cooperating with saidarms to maintain said second frame normally in a flat out line, andmeans for detachably connecting the free ends of said frames with saidsecond frame at either side of said first frame.

6. A package tie comprising a resilient wire frame member adapted to beapplied to one side of the package,one end of said frame being formedwith a pair of spring arms extending in opposite directions and lyingnormally in substantially coplanar relation to said frame, and asecondresilient wire frame member pivotally connected at one end to saidarms and provided with a spring-hinge structure at its other endcooperating with said arms to maintainsaid second frame normally in aflat outline, the free end portions of said frame members being adaptedfor detachable connection.

7. A package tie comprising a Wire frame adapted to be applied toone'side of a package and formed of two members having a spring-hingeconnection at one of their ends, a pair of spring arms pivotallyconnected to the other ends of said frame, a second wire frame havingone end connected tov said spring arms, and meansfor detachably securingthe other end of said second frame to said spring-hinge connection ofsaid firstnamed frame so that. said second frame may be applied to theopposite side of a package from said first frame. v

8. A package tie comprising a wire frame adapted to be applied to oneside of a package and formed of members having a coiled spring-hingeconnection at one of their ends adapted to maintain said members incoplanar relation, a pair of spring arms pivotally connected to theother ends of said members, a second Wire frame secured to said springarms, and means secured to said second frame adapted to detachablyunder- 10 In witness whereof I hereto afiix my sig- 15 nature.

GEORGE F. DILLON.

